Avocado Plant named &#39;Llanos Hass&#39;

ABSTRACT

Described is a new Avocado variety whose fruit matures at a minimum of approximately 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the variety ‘Hass’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Avocado plants in cultivation are mainly varieties of Persea Americano. The new variety was developed by open pollination followed by seedling selection: an open pollinated seedling was selected at applicant's property in Kwinana, Hope Valley, Western Australia. which displayed precocious and consistent fruit, and which was an improvement to the variety ‘Hass’ inasmuch as it consistently matured earlier than ‘Hass’. DNA profiling has shown that ‘Hass’ is likely to be one of the parents of the new variety. Propagation by vegetative grafting onto rootstocks in Kwinana, Hope Valley, Western Australia has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new variety are transmitted through succeeding generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention is a new and distinctive Avocado plant having precocious and consistent fruit set similar to that of its parent variety, ‘Hass’, but matures consistently approximately 4 to 6 weeks earlier than that of its parent variety ‘Hass.’

[0003] The new variety was asexually reproduced by vegetative grafting onto Guatemalan Avocado seedling rootstocks and then advantageously planted in soil consisting of deep sands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION(S)

[0004] The accompanying photo illustration shows a typical fruit and leaf of the new variety depicted in color as true as possible in a color illustration of this character.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

[0005] The new variety ‘LLANOS HASS’ is vigorous, upright with a medium to large height. Anthocyanin is not present in the stems of young shoots. The leaflets are large, horizontal, long and narrow with blades folding concave with a lanceolate shape. The tips of the leaflets are acute and anthocyanin is present in newly emerged leaves. The following description is of plants grown in Kwinana, Hope Valley, Western Australia with color descriptions in accordance with the Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London (3^(rd) ed. 1995). The plants described were grafted in 1996 onto rootstock as previously described.

[0006] All dimensions are in millimeters, weights in grams (unless otherwise stated). COMPARATIVE TRIAL COMPARISON VARIETY: ‘HASS’ Location: Kwinana, Hope Valley, Western Australia (Zone 50) approximately 30 Km south of Perth. Condition: Scion wood from the original “Llanos Hass’ seedling tree was grafted onto Guatemalan seedling rootstocks, trees were planted in 1996 at spacings of 5.0 m × 2.5 m to a total of 100 trees. ‘Hass’ trees grafted onto Guatemalan seedling rootstocks were planted randomly within the “Llanos Hass’ block in 1997 to a total of 10 trees. The plants were grown in the field, soil being deep sands; all trees were managed in the same manner with regard to irrigation and nutrition. Irrigation using mini sprinklers aimed to wet 100% of soil in the drip zone. Nutrition requirements were based on annual leaf analysis and applied by fertigation. Trial design: The trial set up was of a completely randomized design. Measurements: Samples were randomly collected from trees selected at random for analysis. CHARACTERISTICS Plant: Habit vigorous, upright, height medium to large. Stem: Anthocyanin not present in young shoots. Leaf: Large size (183 mm × 71 mm), shape lanceolate (length/width ratio about 2.6) Attitude: Horizontal, blade folding concave Length: Long Width: Narrow Tip: Acute, anthocyanin present in newly emerged leaves, anise aroma not present when crushed. Inflorescence: Size axis length medium, Type ‘B’. Flower: Habit late, pubescence on sepals medium. Mature fruit: Early maturing, size small (97 mm × 64 mm), shape base rounded stylar region slightly depressed, length: diameter ratio medium (1.5:1), stalk cavity present, relief of surface rough. Pedicel: Length medium, shape cylindrical, nailhead shape present, pedicel/peduncle combined length medium (81 mm). Ripe fruit: Color of skin purple black, thickness of skin thick (1.75 mm), texture of skin leathery, adherence of skin to flesh medium, main flesh color yellow, wide green layer of flesh next to skin, fibres in flesh inconspicuous, flesh texture smooth, seed set into cavity tight. Seed: size compared to fruit large (flesh weight:seed weight ratio 3.7:1), shape in longitudinal section base flattened, apex conical.

[0007] COMPARISON OF PERSEA VARIETIES ‘Llanos Hass’ *‘Hass’ YOUNG SHOOT Color green green Anthocyanin coloration absent absent Color of lenticels red green YOUNG LEAF: Anthocyanin coloration present present Color of petiole pubescence white white LEAF: Attitude horizontal horizontal Blade/folding concave concave Blade size large large Blade Length (mm) Mean 183 165 Std. Deviation 21 25 LSD/sig 9 pS0.01 Blade Width (mm) Mean 71 76 Std. Deviation 10 9 LSD/sig 4 pS0.01 Blade Length/Width Ratio Mean 2.6 2.2 Std. Deviation 0.3 0.4 LSD/sig 0.1 PS0.01 Blade shape lanceolate elliptical Blade—shape of tip acute acute Blade undulation of margin weak weak Blade anise aroma absent absent Inflorescence: Length of Axis medium long Color of Lenticels green green Flowering type Type B Type A Flower: Pubescence of sepal present present Density Pubescence of sepal medium medium Mature fruit: Size small small Length (mm) Mean 97 100 Std. Deviation 10 11 LSD/sig 7.0 ns Diameter (widest point −mm) Mean 64 66 Std. Deviation 6 7 LSD/sig 4.0 ns Length/Diameter ratio Mean 1.5 1.5 Std. Deviation 0.1 0.1 LSD/sig 0.1 ns Shape of basal part of fruit rounded rounded Stalk cavity present present shape of stylar region slightly slightly depressed depressed Relief of surface rough rough Pedicel: Length medium medium Shape cylindrical cylindrical “Nailhead” Shape present present color green yellow/green Pedicel/Pedunle combined Length Mean 81 123 Std. Deviation 15 33 LSD/sig 13.8 PS0.01 Ripe fruit: Color of skin purple black purple black Thickness of skin (mm) thick thick Mean 1.75 1.42 Std. Deviation 0.16 0.22 LSD/sig 0.20 pS0.01 Texture of skin leathery corky Adherence of skin to flesh medium medium Main color of flesh yellow yellow Color of flesh next to skin green green Width of colored layer of flesh wide medium next to skin Texture of flesh smooth smooth Firmness of flesh medium medium Anise aroma of flesh absent absent Setting of seed in cavity tight tight Size compared to fruit size large medium Flesh: seed to weight ratio Mean 3.7 4.8 Std. Deviation 0.6 1.0 LSD/sig 0.5 PS0.01 Seed: shape in longitudal section base flattened, ovate apex conical Time of flowering: late late Time of fruit maturity for harvesting: early late 

We claim:
 1. A new Avocado plant of the variety substantially as shown and described. 